Berger Preserve
The Karl F. Berger Preserve, located in Bremen on the 864-acre Bremen Long Island, comprises 180 acres of wooded land extending the width of the island from Flying Passage to Hockomock Channel.
***Berger Preserve is accessible only by water, and can best be accessed on the west side.
The Story of the Land
The preserve features a rich undeveloped forest and half a mile of beautiful shoreline, including several pebble beaches and tidal pools.
The Berger Preserve is easily accessible at any tide by canoe or kayak. An orange triangular reflector designates the trailhead, and can be seen from the water. The trip from the Bremen town landing to the preserve is approximately ¾ mile.
The land for the preserve was generously donated to MVLT in 2007 and 2010 by Daniel and Suzanne Goldenson. The preserve is the largest remaining undeveloped plot on the island.
What You Might See
There is one loop trail within the Berger Preserve, the Cross Island Trail. The two mile (round trip) trail showcases why this preserve is so special. The trail passes rocky ledges and mossy forest streams, through pristine red spruce/white pine forest, to the beaches, tidepools and eel grass beds of the eastern shore.
Eel grass beds are a sign of a healthy marine ecosystem and play an important role in cycling nutrients, oxygenating the water, and acting as a food base for waterfowl, juvenile fish and invertebrates, supporting larger species of birds and mammals, including eagles and harbor seals.
Spruce-fir broom moss forest covers nearly all of the preserve’s uplands, except for the rocky shore and beach strand. Red spruce and white-pine are found in most areas, while red maple, white birch and red oak/conifer mixes tend to be soil type dependent. Deer live on the island year round. The marine habitats surrounding the preserve include a bordering rocky shore, beaches and the eel grass beds and mussel bars of Hockomock Channel.
Directions:
Berger Preserve
Bremen Long Island
Bremen, ME 04551
From Waldoboro: Take Rt. 32 South for about 7 miles. Turn left on Medomak Road, then in about 1 mile take Town Landing Road to the end. Parking is available at the Bremen town landing.
The preserve is accessible only by water, and can best be accessed on the west side.
